The Hobart-Lawrence Police Department reported that a 70-year old Adopt-A-Highway volunteer was killed in a tragic pedestrian accident while picking up trash along Highway 41 last week.

31-year old Lucia Torres-Bisarraga was traveling southbound on Highway 41 when she drifted out of her lane, into the shoulder, and struck Adopt-A-Highway volunteer Cornelius "Corky" Van Handel.  Bisarraga told police officers that she lost control after a car swerved in front of her, however no witnesses reported seeing another car.   

Torres-Bisarraga is being charged with driving without a license resulting in death and failure to control her vehicle.  

Our utmost sympathies go out to Van Handel's family and friends during this difficult time. 

Volunteer firefighter, Steve Zaferakis, was recently honored by Clay Town officials for responding quickly and removing a baby from harm's way. He was called to the scene of a car accident and found an infant stuck in a child seat. The driver, Jorge Palmero, was on top of the seat, trapping the infant.

Zaferakis was able to safely remove the infant from the vehicle with the help of his fellow firefighters. He had to sweep the baby's mouth to clear way for it to breathe. It was then taken to the hospital, treated and released. 

Palmero, the baby's 27-year-old father is still in a coma. He is charged with driving while intoxicated. The baby's mother, Jamie Finnegan, 21, suffered a concussion.

Driving while intoxicated can cause accidents and leave people seriously injured. If you or someone you know has been injured in an automobile accident, contact a Stevens Point Motor Vehicle Accidents Lawyer at Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. ®, by dialing 1-800-2-HABUSH today.

Sunday morning, a 28-year-old Milwaukee woman was pronounced dead after a tragic motorcycle accident on the 27th Street Viaduct. The Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel identifies the woman as, "Sengthavanh Phengphonsavanh." She was riding on a motorcycle that was reportedly racing with another motorcycle.

According to the Journal Sentinel, "She was a passenger on a motorcycle that was driving at an estimated
speed of up to 80 mph in the northbound lanes of the viaduct before it
hit the rear of a pickup truck."

Phengphonsavanh was thrown from the motorcycle, striking the roof of the truck before finally ending up in the street. The driver was also thrown but landed in the bed of the pickup truck. Both drivers were taken to the hospital.

The Examiner reports that, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, 73.8 percent of drivers use seatbelts. That statistic is well below the rest of the nation, with the national average at 84 percent. Young people are the least likely to wear seatbelts, which is frightening considering they are in 400 percent more accidents, according to The Examiner.

A couple recent crashes come to mind in light of these statistics, reports the Examiner. One was in South Central Wisconsin where three of six young adults travelling in a car were killed. They were not wearing seatbelts. In Richland County, three young women died in an accident where, again, none of them was wearing a seatbelt. 

The Examiner writes that, "Seat belts are more than 50% effective at preventing fatalities and are estimated to save as many as 15,000 lives each year."

Seat belts are an important safety measure, but they cannot prevent all injuries. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, contact the Stevens Point personal injury lawyers at Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. ®, by dialing 1-800-2-HABUSH.

A 40-year old Wisconsin man was killed when his tractor was struck by a freight train in Chippewa County on Tuesday afternoon. Sources say that the man was towing hay at the time of the accident and may not have seen the train coming. Officials released a report stating that crossing signs were in place, but no electronic signs or gates were present at that crossing. Officials are still investigating the cause of the train accident. 

Our sincere condolences go out to the family of the victim.

(Source)